England's Ben Lane and Sean Vendy have captured the European Championships gold medal they were "desperate" for, marking a historic and emotional triumph in Huelva, Spain.

As the second seeds, the duo stormed to victory in the men's doubles final, defeating defending champions Christo and Toma Junior Popov of France in straight games, 21-15, 21-16. This victory ends a 25-year wait, making them the first English pair to win the European title since 1998.

The win caps a dominant week for the pair, who entered the tournament with a single, clear objective. "We came into this tournament with one goal in mind, which was the gold medal," said Vendy, 29. "I feel like we have played at a really good level all week, and we are really happy to be on the top step of the podium."

For Lane, 28, the victory fulfills a major season-long ambition. "We came into this week desperate for a gold medal. We haven't won gold here before, so it was a big goal for us this season," he explained, highlighting the determination that powered their campaign.

It was a successful championships for English badminton overall, with compatriots Alex Green and Zach Russ securing the bronze medal to complete a strong showing on the continental stage.